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What's the difference between a successful entrepreneur and everyone else? People who build an empire from a product or idea are the ones who take themselves off auto-pilot and ask: is there a better way to do this? That one question is how Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, went from being a door-to-door fax machine saleswoman in Florida, to the owner of a billion-dollar fashion brand. Here, she shares a mental exercise that helps foster entrepreneurial thinking, and explains why pursuing your idea is so much more important than having people validate it. Basically, here is a lesson in lighting a billion-dollar fire under your ass. Sara Blakely is also the creator of The Belly Art Project, which works with Every Mother Counts to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for women everywhere.

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SARA BLAKELY

Throughout history, inventors have found inspiration from the strangest places. For Spanx founder and owner Sara Blakely, the inspiration came from VPL (visible panty lines) and uncomfortable thongs. A frustrated consumer turned entrepreneur, Sara invented footless pantyhose, created an international brand and led a shapewear revolution.

Obsessed with inventing comfortable garments that minimize flaws while maximizing women’s confidence, Sara and the Spanx team have created an assortment of problem-solving products including bras, shapers, hosiery, swimwear, activewear, menswear and other fashion apparel.

Busting at the seams with hundreds of fan favorites, Spanx has reshaped retail, opening stores across the nation with more to come. Chances are you’ve seen Sara flashing her Spanx on QVC, judging inventions on ABC’s American Inventor, or sharing tea with Richard Branson atop a hot air balloon at 10,000 feet on Fox’s The Rebel Billionaire. As the runner up on Rebel Billionaire, Sara received a $750,000 check from Branson to pursue her dream to start a foundation to empower women. Since launching the Sara Blakely Foundation in late 2006, Sara and Spanx have donated roughly $24 million to The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation that supports education and entrepreneurship among women. As an entertaining and sought-after speaker, Sara shares her story to inspire people to follow their dreams.

Remaining self-funded and profitable ever since Sara used her own savings to start the company, Spanx continues to show incredible growth. In addition to Spanx retail stores, SPANX are sold in America’s finest retailers and boutiques including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s and Lord and Taylor, as well as high-end retailers in more than 60 countries around the world.

Sara has graced the covers of Forbes and Inc. magazines and her story has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, TODAY, The View, 20/20, GMA, USA Today, CNN, WSJ and CNBC, among others. She has been named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and Georgia’s “Woman of the Year.” In March of 2012, Sara was named the world’s youngest, self-made female billionaire by Forbes Magazine and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. Sara and her family reside in Atlanta, Georgia. Sara is a native of Clearwater, Florida, and a graduate of Florida State University

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TRANSCRIPT:

Sara Blakely: So, as an entrepreneur I'm such an advocate for everyone to think like an entrepreneur. Whether you want to start your own business or not, it's incredibly helpful no matter what.

And so thinking like an entrepreneur inside of organizations or if you are starting your own business, I always say—I love to tell the people around me to do this: Close your eyes and take a minute and think about how you would be doing your job if nobody showed you how to do it. What surfaces?

Because if you think about it we're all on autopilot. We're doing things the way either someone else showed us how to do it or we saw and learned from watching. And real change only happens when you do it different than everybody else. So all the time I put myself through mental exercises where I'm like, “Wait a minute, I know everybody's been doing it this way for a really long time, but is that the best way?” And I just want to see what comes up.

I also come across ideas and inventions by going throughout my day looking at objects and saying, “Now how could that be better?” And why did the person who first created gum—gum to me is so fascinating.

As so...

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